Bush says terror plot could have caused 'death on a massive scale'

CRAWFORD, Texas -- President Bush said Saturday that a scheme to blow up several flights between Britain and the United States was carefully planned and well-advanced, with the potential to cause "death on a massive scale."

In his most extensive comments on the disrupted plot, Bush said it was a stark reminder that terrorists still aim to kill Americans five years after the Sept. 11 attacks.

"This plot is further evidence that the terrorists we face are sophisticated and constantly changing their tactics," Bush said in his weekly radio address, taped Friday at his Texas ranch and broadcast Saturday.

"We must never make the mistake of thinking the danger of terrorism has passed," Bush said. "This week's experience reminds us of a hard fact -- the terrorists have to succeed only once to achieve their goal of mass murder, while we have to succeed every time to stop them."

Democrats also said the plot again demonstrated that the United States is at war against dangerous extremists. But in a pointed critique that shows terrorism still at the top of the debate in this election year, Democrats said the Bush administration is not doing a good enough job protecting Americans.

British and Pakistani authorities have arrested as many as 41 people in their two countries in connection with the alleged plan, broken up by British police this week, to detonate disguised liquid explosives aboard as many as 10 planes bound from Britain to the United States.

Bush authorized an increase in the terror threat warning for flights on that route to code red, indicating a severe risk of terror attacks. All other domestic and international flights in the United States were set to code orange, the second highest level on the scale.

Within hours of the news, Democrats and Republicans were engaged in election-year squabbling over which party can best protect Americans.

In his radio address, Bush alluded to political disagreements about the war on terror.

"Unfortunately, some have suggested recently that the terrorist threat is being used for partisan political advantage," Bush said in his radio message. "We can have legitimate disagreements about the best way to fight the terrorists, yet there should be no disagreement about the dangers we face.

"If these terrorists had succeeded, they could have caused death on a massive scale," Bush said. "The plot appears to have been carefully planned and well-advanced."

Bush urged travelers to be patient and vigilant as they encounter inconveniences during heightened airport screening procedures. All liquid and gel products were banned from carry-on luggage.

"We believe that this week's arrests have significantly disrupted the threat," Bush said. "Yet we cannot be sure that the threat has been eliminated."

Bush also thanked investigators in the U.S. and Britain for working together to stop the plot. White House aides said they hoped the successful investigation would dampen criticism of the administration's controversial anti-terror methods, such as secret monitoring of phone calls, e-mail and financial transactions.

"This week's events demonstrate the vital importance of ensuring that our intelligence and law enforcement personnel have all the tools they need to track down the terrorists and prevent attacks on our country," Bush said.

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